As such, in June 2008, CasaPound therefore constituted an "association of social promotion", and assumed its current name CasaPound Italia – CPI; the party's symbol is the "Arrowed Turtle".[16] On 26 June 2019, CasaPound's leader Gianluca Iannone announced CasaPound existence as a political party had ended, going back to its original status of social movement.[17]
History
CasaPound building in via Napoleone III, Rome (2010)
The first occupation made using the name CasaPound was on 26 December 2003 in Rome, by a group of young people referring to the ONC/OSA area (acronym for "Non-Compliant Occupations and Occupations with a Housing Purpose"), and coming from previous experience of CasaMontag (named after Guy Montag) at the gates of Rome. The building, a state-owned building in via Napoleone III, later has been used as the national headquarters of the movement and the association. In 2010, 23 families and a total of 82 people lived in CasaPound occupied building.[18]
Previously, CasaPound was associated with Tricolour Flame until 2008[19] but now has its own movement, CasaPound Italy, extending all over Italy with many social centres. While CPI does not recognize the classic definitions of right and left,[20] it is commonly placed in the category of the political groups and movements of the Italian radical right. Casapound is generally self-defined by its followers as Third Position, however.[21]
In 2011 it was estimated that CasaPound Italy had 5,000 members, while in 2017 they reached 6,000.[22] On 13 November 2017, Simone Di Stefano was elected secretary and nominal prime ministerial candidate for the 2018 general election,[23] although the party subsequently formally stated that it hoped Northern League leader Matteo Salvini became prime minister.[24]
In order to participate in the 2019 European Parliament election in Italy, an electoral joint list was formed by CasaPound together with United Right.[25] CasaPound leader Simone Di Stefano topped the coalition's list however the coalition was unable to win any seats in the European Parliament.[26] On 26 June 2019, CasaPound's Iannone announced CasaPound existence as a political party had ended, going back to its original status of social movement.[17]
One feature of this movement, according to sociologist Emanuele Toscano, is to present a different interpretation of fascism aimed at overcoming the dichotomy of right-left.[29] The political position of CasaPound is based on the fascist Third Position, defined as "extreme-upper-centre" by the movement itself.[30]
On social and domestic issues, CasaPound has a strong anti-immigration stance,[35] but lack of homogeneity on other themes. In January 2016, many members of the movement participated in the Family Day, supporting the traditional family idea.[36] In 2017, the establishment of CasaPound expressed support for same-sex civil unions,[37]advance directive and improvement of the welfare state.[38][39] The party supports abortion rights.[40] Some activists of the movement expressed antisemitic and xenophobic rhetoric online,[41] but CasaPound both refuses and expels members who support these ideas.[42]
On foreign policy, CasaPound is critical of the European Union, instead supporting a communitarian-nationalist Europe.[43][44] The Movement was originally both anti-American[45][46] and anti-Zionist,[47] and started a cooperation with the Lebanese anti-imperialist, anti-Zionist, ShiaIslamist party Hezbollah in 2015.[48] However, Di Stefano later said, "we do not have problems with Israel".[49] In 2018, Di Stefano defended Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policies regarding repatriation of illegal immigrants to Africa as "undoubtedly excellent", and criticised humanitarian organisations and the United Nations for intervening to prevent them.[50] After the end of Di Stefano's leadership of CasaPound, it reverted to a strongly pro-Palestine stance in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.[51][52]
Di Stefano has expressed support for U.S. President Donald Trump, but requested that he close U.S. military bases in Italy.[53]
Although leader Di Stefano has maintained outspoken support for Russian PresidentVladimir Putin, CasaPound has always taken a pro-Ukraine stance, being closely linked with the nationalist organization Right Sector, with members fighting among the ranks of the Azov Battalion and Misanthropic Division.[54] This positions the organization as opposed to its neo-fascist rival New Force, which although a former Italian ally of the Ukrainian party Svoboda, it has, since 2014, taken a pro-Russian stance in the conflict and sent fighters to Donbas.[55] According to the Italian edition of the HuffPost, members of CasaPound went to fight in Ukraine, among them Francesco Saverio Fontana, who enlisted in the Azov Battalion.[56]
The social centre has its own musical band, Zetazeroalfa, an association of civil protection and promotes sports (hiking, parachuting, diving and other disciplines), union activities, and recreational activities, including a theater company, web radio, web television and a monthly magazine.
CasaPound has promoted initiatives outside the Italian territory through its non-profit organization Solidarité Identités.[57] The activities of the movement have been the subject of attention by some foreign media.[58][59]
The main CasaPound political proposal is the so-called Mutuo Sociale (Social Mortgage),[64] as a response to the problem of housing which, according to official data, involving approximately 23,000 households throughout Italy. In October 2011, the Lazio Region officially approved it within its "House Plan".[65]
Starting with the 2011 elections CasaPound presented their candidates in local elections in civic lists or centre-right and succeeded in electing its representatives.[66] At regional and national elections of 2013 CasaPound Italy announced that it will present its civic lists throughout Italy.
Blocco Studentesco
Logo of Blocco Studentesco, the youth wing of CasaPound.
CasaPounds student organization Blocco Studentesco was founded in 2006. Aside from being a place for interested people to find others with similar political views it also takes part in student elections. In 2009 it successfully entered the student parliaments with 100 representatives.[67] Its logo is based on the flag of Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists from the 1930s.[68]
Blocco Studentescos main forms of action are demonstrations and parades.[69] Events such as flash mobs, hard bass and happenings are also organized and used for content production on social media.[70]
Some of the direct action Blocco Studentesco takes part in is violent. In 2008 there was a fight between the student organisation and left-wing students in Piazza Navona in Rome.[71]
Questions have been submitted by parliamentarians of the Democratic Party about fascist propaganda and the violence of the student movement.[72]
Over the years the leaders of CasaPound Italy have been invited to explain its “political model” in many of the major European capitals (Paris, Madrid, London, Lisbon, Brussels, Warsaw)[74] and the organization has been the subject of some reports by foreign media.[58]
The party's choice of American poet Ezra Pound as a symbol of the movement has caused controversy with his daughter, Mary de Rachewiltz, who claimed it distorts the meaning of Pound's work and represents a "misappropriation" of his image,[78] despite Pound's stated support for fascism.
^Pedro Zúquete, José (2018). The Identitarians. "We are not racists, we are not anti-Semitic, we do not have problems with Israel," said Simone Di Stefano, CasaPound's vice president, when its then-political ally Matteo Salvini was denied entry into Israel on the purported basis of his CasaPound connection.
